Good Movement = Footwork + Anticipation

CSU Bakersfield Head Coach Dan McCain

Let’s face it, tennis today is not the game our parent’s played…and even at the pro level, it is not the same game played twenty years ago. In the modern game, people hit with far greater power and spin, which makes movement around the court that much more important. In order to compete, players must be able to move better if they are going to get into optimal position to hit the ball. Because opponents (at all levels) are hitting with much greater pace–and often with far greater spin (due to racquet and string technology, as well as the advancement of fitness and stroke technique), we must be able to counter this faster pace and spin if we indeed wish to compete.

At the club level, players are continuously striving to improve technique; yet for so many players at the club level, more shots are missed because of poor movement than poor technique. Players simply do not get themselves into position to use the technique they have. Sound movement from the baseline consists of three parts: being in position for the shot with the feet, anticipation, and movement in between shots (which includes splits steps, moving to the ball while turned, and recovery).

If we take a look at these three components of movement as they relate to position, balance and shot execution, players of all levels can begin to utilize stroke technique in ways that allow for optimal execution.

Being in Position with the Feet for the Shot

Whether you hit your forehand or backhand with an open stance, a closed (square) stance, or some variation in between, having the feet set solidly in any of these footwork patterns is essential. These stances must be executed in such a way that the player can set up for a shot to strike the ball comfortably between waist and chest level…aka ‘the Strike Zone.’ The open and closed stances are meant to facilitate the easiest and most natural swing path and contact point as they relate to particular shot selection. However, a good set stance that is too far away from–or too close to–the ball won’t allow for the player to execute any stroke within the context of optimal swing mechanics, balance, and strike zone.

The open stance forehand for a right-handed player generally involves the player positioning the right foot forward in front of the hip, parallel with the baseline, and the left foot dragging behind the torso. Typically, a well-executed open stance forehand includes a deep knee bend with the right leg, commonly called “loading,” where the player “takes a seat” with his right leg during the back-swing as the racquet head drops below the ball. During the contact phase of the open stance forehand, the player will often explode up with the right leg as he/she brushes up the back of the ball hitting through the shot, (unloading). Not every open stance is going to be exactly the same, so leaving room for the natural set up of the shot with these principles in mind allows for different variations to occur. This is based on where the shot takes place on the court in relation to where and how quickly the player moves to the ball.

The closed stance (or square stance) for a right-handed player’s forehand has both feet directly below a player’s shoulders, standing comfortably shoulder width apart, with the entire body lined up sideways to the incoming ball. Of course, if the player turns around 180 degrees, he will be in a closed stance position for the backhand.The closed stance shot typically consists of a player stepping forward with the left foot toward the net, and dragging the right foot toward the left foot after contact.

Most pros will use the open stance more frequently on high bouncing shots that land deeper in the court on forehands, and the closed stance when the ball is low bouncing and lands shorter in the court. The closed stance is the stance of choice most of the time on two-handed backhands unless a player is pushed wide or very deep in the court. Pros with one-handed backhands follow the same concept, except they use the open stance with far less frequency.

Movement In Between Shots

Moving to the ball and recovering after each shot has a great deal to do with one’s ability to use proper footwork. Good movement in between shots consists of making a solid split step each time one’s opponent makes contact with the ball, turning sideways and running to the ball while preparing to hit a shot, facing front and sidestepping on recovery, and keeping the feet moving between shots.

Making a good split step is a simple concept where a player jumps up slightly, both feet leave the ground, and the feet land together, at the same time, around shoulder width apart. The split step gives players the poise to move quickly in either direction. A well-timed split step is made when a player lands with both feet on the ground just after the opponent makes contact with the ball.

Once the split step is made, a good mover turns sideways and runs to the ball. The sideways posture is a necessary aspect of preparation for all types of ground-strokes, and running is the fastest method of movement. This facilitates optimal speed in getting to a shot that might be farther away, making it easy to take larger or smaller steps when necessary, and enhancing a player’s preparation.

After hitting a shot, immediate recovery is paramount in preparing for the next shot. If a player plans to stay on the baseline, recovery is best executed by facing front and sidestepping. This allows a player to move in either direction with ease – if a player were to recover with his back turned in one direction, the opponent could hit behind him and retrieving that shot could prove extremely problematic.

Finally, keeping the feet continuously moving between strokes is extremely important because it allows a player to more easily overcome inertia. By stopping completely and becoming flat footed, a player has to then restart the engine so to speak, in order to make the necessary footwork adjustments. This cost a player time and energy. By staying on the toes and bouncing around in between split steps and during recovery, a player gives himself the best chance to use solid footwork patterns. One caveat here, the pros are in tremendous condition and bouncing around continuously for a game or two, let a lone an entire match is extremely tiring, so a strong conditioning program is paramount.

Perhaps more than any footwork concept, players need to continually work on this aspect of taking more steps and being more fluid in their movement. Players are inherently lazy, meaning we will all resort to the least demanding movement when given the option. Because we can often reach shots with minimal footwork, we become complacent in this critical component of the game and rely on reaching with our racquet more and more instead of our feet. There are many footwork drills that are in the Lesson Library here at TennisOne that address this important footwork aspect.

Anticipation

Anticipation is basically predicting the future. Imagine a match where your opponent verbally told you where he was going to hit each and every ball, and with what type of shot/spin before he actually did it. It would be nice, wouldn’t it? That would make your life much easier, and it would make playing your opponent that much easier as well. While I'm not suggesting you become a psychic to improve your tennis, I am suggesting you can look for clues to help you anticipate not only what type of shot your opponent plans to hit but also where he is aiming.

So what clues should you look for?

While your opponent will not verbally tell you where or what he is going to hit, he does tell you these things with his body. That is if you learn to speak the language.

There are three key things to watch as your opponent moves to the ball: where the opponent is on the court, how the shoulders are turned, and how the racquet is taken back.

Court Positioning

The concept often referred to as “reading the ball,” involves anticipation based on all three of these ideas. Understanding where an opponent is located on the court goes a long way toward anticipating where that player is likely to hit the ball.

In other words, your opponent can be predictable in many situations based on court positioning. While different players tend to use different shots accordingly, most players have habits that can be discovered. Further, most players also respond in nearly the same way under certain circumstances during a point. More often than not, players exhibit strengths and weaknesses that will determine their response to various shots. Looking for these early in the warm-up as well as in the early games of a match will help you identify and anticipate what your opponent will do.

Obvious examples would be, during a point, after pushing an opponent wide in the court and forcing him to play a shot on the run, expecting a short reply either up the middle or down the line. Identifying moments when your opponent is out of position often results in a weaker, shorter reply. Also, hitting a high topspin shot during a baseline exchange that lands deep in the court – that the opponent moves far back behind the baseline to hit – will often yield a similar high topspin response that a player with good anticipation skills would expect.

Players in good position will go cross court more often than not, since the net is lower and the court is longer. Short balls are usually attacked down the line; however you must be open to look for patterns and habits of each opponent and react accordingly. Andy Roddick, for instance, has a tendency to attack short balls with a crosscourt approach. There are other examples of this, and many of them are relative to the distinctive nature of the specific opponent.

Shoulder Turn and Racquet Preparation

Different shots call for different ways of executing the unit turn, and all shots are best hit with early preparation. Slice and one-handed topspin backhands call for a sideways, closed body posture throughout the stroke, while forehands and two-handed backhands call for unit rotation. The unit turn for each of these shots are key elements that allow a player to make contact out in front comfortably, as is a player’s ability to take the racquet back in a way that allows for enough time to prepare comfortably for the shot.

With these ideas in mind, a player can watch his opponent from shot to shot and draw conclusions. If a player, for example, has late preparation with the racquet take back, or has a poor unit turn, a late contact point is likely to occur. Anticipating this late contact point can help a player predict where the shot may be hit. Conversely, by observing a good unit turn and early preparation by the opponent, a player can expect a well hit shot coming his or her way, and anticipating this can facilitate a better response.

The type of spin an opponent is going to hit is usually pretty easy to see during the backswing as well. Obviously, identifying the type of grip a player is using goes a long way toward knowing what type of spin an opponent plans to hit. Continental grips often yield slice or underspin shots, while eastern and western grips yield topspin shots.

If the player takes the racquet back with an open racquet face – a slice or under spin shot will likely be struck. On the backhand side, most players, when hitting underspin will take the racquet back with the opposite hand on the throat of the racquet, which also gives away their choice of shot as well. A backswing with a closed racquet face that looks like a loop is probably going to be a topspin shot.

Conclusion

You can have good anticipation skills by developing the eye you have for your opponent and even by watching the pros. By knowing what to look for – how they take their racquet back, how they turn their shoulders, and where they are on court – you can begin to put your tarot cards aside and begin predicting the future by learning to read people.

You can also improve your footwork – regardless of your foot speed – with attention to detail in a few key areas. Making split steps, understanding how to move to the ball and recover properly, and knowing how to get in position for each shot all make a major difference in a player’s level of play.

Finally, as you train and consciously apply these footwork tips, you will become more natural in their execution and, as a result, be able to execute them unconsciously. Of course, this is the ultimate goal of any training program and the ultimate level of skill – when players can indeed successfully execute such components without having to think about them.

Consider too, that as we as skilled players become more and more competitive and play other more highly skilled players, the difference between winning and losing is often not the difference in stroke execution…but the difference in how we position ourselves during the execution.